Όταν είμαι κουρασμένος, ακουμπάω το κεφάλι μου στο μαξιλάρι και αναστενάζω.

to be

Breakdown of Όταν είμαι κουρασμένος, ακουμπάω το κεφάλι μου στο μαξιλάρι και αναστενάζω.

• και: and
• μου: my
• σε: on

Questions & Answers about Όταν είμαι κουρασμένος, ακουμπάω το κεφάλι μου στο μαξιλάρι και αναστενάζω.

Why is it κουρασμένος and not some other form?

Κουρασμένος is an adjective meaning tired, and it has to agree with the person speaking.

In this sentence, the speaker is implicitly:

• 1st person singular because of είμαι = I am
• masculine because of κουρασμένος

So:

• I am tired said by a man: είμαι κουρασμένος
• I am tired said by a woman: είμαι κουρασμένη

The adjective is in the nominative singular, because it goes with the subject of είμαι.

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Why is there no εγώ for I?

Greek often leaves out subject pronouns when they are already clear from the verb ending.

Here:

• είμαι already means I am
• ακουμπάω already means I rest / I place
• αναστενάζω already means I sigh

So εγώ is unnecessary unless you want emphasis, contrast, or clarification.

For example:

• Όταν είμαι κουρασμένος... = When I’m tired...
• Όταν εγώ είμαι κουρασμένος... would sound more emphatic, like When I’m tired... as opposed to someone else.

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What exactly does Όταν mean here?